Boschendal
Boschendal
4.5
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
About
Agriculture and a simple farm lifestyle is at the heart of Boschendal. One of the oldest farms in South Africa, founded 1685, the farm has grown with the passing centuries into a cherished source of wholesome produce, great wines and happy memories. Set in the Drakenstein Valley surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes, lush gardens and vines, the original farmstead complex is now a national monument with a rich and intriguing history of more than 300 years. Today, Boschendal is a Cape winelands icon and a cherished wine and food destination. Our vineyards and fruit trees have been joined by vegetable gardens and a growing herd of free range, 100% pasture fed Angus cattle reflecting our commitment to serving wholesome farm-to-table food. Guest accommodation is also a recent addition to the farm with luxurious cottage accommodation ranging from the exclusive and historic Rhodes Cottage built by Sir Herbert Baker to the elegantly restored Werf Cottages. Cottage guests enjoy access to the entire farm where they can walk and cycle on trails through mountain fynbos, dine under the stars, have picnics and sundowners in exclusive areas, fly-fish in the dams and swim in pristine mountain water.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- 111TWIGAMINHAAFRIKABristol, United KingdomThird stop on our wine tram/bus tour...Boschendal one of the oldest wineries in this region, grand house, deli, restaurant's, shop and several tasting rooms at two different location within the estate. We arrived around 2pm and spent the rest of the day here before getting the bus/tram back to Franschhoek. Lots to do and explore, we had a late lunch on arrival which was delicious. Sat outside in the courtyard we thoroughly enjoyed the Bobotie. Wine tasting followed, we thought several of the white wines had the edge here, dutifully conducted by a friendly member of staff. We noticed that the grand kitchen garden from a previous visit has been devastated because of the recent floods, a great shame.Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience at Boschendal! We're delighted to hear that you had a fantastic day exploring our farm and enjoying the various offerings. We're thrilled that you enjoyed a delicious late lunch, especially the Bobotie, and found our white wines to your liking during the wine tasting. Our staff takes pride in creating a friendly and enjoyable environment for our guests. We hope to welcome you back soon for more exploration and delightful moments at Boschendal! Warm regards, The Boschendal TeamWritten 27 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 9 November 2023
- DianeMilnsbridge, United KingdomGreat service and experienceThe experience and service were outstanding! We arrived late and we’re not sure we would be able to get food but Marshall and Preston ensured that we had everything! We had a picnic basket for 2 that could have fed 4 people - so much delicious food! We left the remains to have for dinner… wow! A great experience- lovely food, wine and live music - could not recommend more.Dear Diane, Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had an outstanding experience at our farm. It warms our hearts to know that Marshall and Preston took excellent care of you, ensuring you had everything you needed, even when arriving late. We're delighted that you enjoyed the picnic basket – it sounds like it turned into a feast for dinner! We appreciate your recommendation and are overjoyed that you found the food, wine, and live music to your liking. Your satisfaction means the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another wonderful experience. Best regards, The Boschendal TeamWritten 13 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 12 November 2023
- The view of the cannas and the mountains in the distance is absolutely stunningWe went to South Africa for our 25th anniversary and were lucky enough to stay at Boschendal for the night of our anniversary. We stayed in the Retreat Cottages and it was delightful, the view of the cannas and the mountains in the distance is absolutely stunning. The gardens are beautiful, and the breakfast area was fabulous. The team at reception very kindly gave us a bottle of wine on arrival and another bottle of MCC as it was our anniversary. The women on reception were just lovely! And we enjoyed them in front of the fire!Dear Aran, Thank you so much for choosing Boschendal to celebrate your 25th anniversary! We're absolutely delighted to hear that your stay at our Retreat Cottages was delightful and that you enjoyed the breathtaking views. It warms our hearts to know that our gardens and breakfast area added to your experience. It's always a pleasure to create memorable moments for our guests. We're thrilled that our team at reception could contribute to your celebration by providing you with a bottle of wine and MCC. We're grateful for your kind words about our team, and we'll be sure to pass on your compliments to them. Your anniversary is a milestone worth cherishing, and we're honored you chose to spend it with us. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back for more special occasions in the future! Warm regards, The Boschendal TeamWritten 5 December 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 30 November 2023
- Edinburgh186525Edinburgh, United KingdomNot for views or walkingWine tasting in nice courtyard with coffee stall / deli etc and good service in wine tasting. Wouldn't choose this winery for views. Main flag for others is we went here for our first stop on wine tram with a plan to do the 5km walk that is listed in the walking and running section of the website, before we started the wine tasting. Was difficult to get information on the start / where to go (need to get off at the restaurant / mountain biking centre if you want a walk or a coffee rather than stay on the bus to the tasting room – we had to walk back 15/20 mins) and then turns out the 5k was just around the main grounds and the 10k actually around the more industrial looking part of the estate passing where the tram drops people off and the bus picks you up to take you to the winery so not scenic at all. Would not suggest planning a walk for your day here.Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We appreciate your visit and taking the time to explore our farm. We understand your disappointment regarding the lack of clear communication regarding the walking routes and the scenic views. Your comments have been shared with our teams, and we are committed to improving our communication to ensure a more seamless experience for our guests. While we're glad to hear that you enjoyed the wine tasting and found the service to be satisfactory, we regret that the overall experience did not meet your expectations. Rest assured, we are actively working to address the issues you've raised. We hope that you'll consider giving us another chance in the future to provide you with a more enjoyable visit. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. Warm regards, The Boschendal TeamWritten 3 March 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 February 2024
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4.5
1,569 reviews
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Very good
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Terrible
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CapeTownCharles
Cape Town
Feb 2021
The whole place is too commercialized. It has some interesting and beautiful facets like the Manor House and gardens. Too many other activities in a restricted place makes it very crowded and stifling. Needs better organisation to fulfil its potential.
Written 6 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear CapeTownCharles,
Thank you for taking the time to review Boschendal, we appreciate our guest's feedback. We certainly strive to create beautiful experiences for our guests. With a wide variety of food and beverage outlets and plenty of outdoor spaces, we take safety precautions as well as our guest comfort very seriously. Our working farm is over 1800 hectares and we strive to create authentic experiences for all age groups and interests. We can assure you that our teams are very passionate and have an all hands on deck approach at all times.
We hope you will consider visiting us again soon as we are always striving to deliver memorable moments to our guests
Kindest Regards,
The Boschendal Team
Written 22 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TravellerFaye
Lennox Head, Australia
Feb 2020 • Friends
Beautiful site with vines, roses, mountain views, white table linen on tables under trees. Service is excellent. Picnic baskets, with a bottle of wine and one litre of sparkling water and 10 per cent gratuity came to almost 1600 rand for four people.
Service is prompt and friendly.
Food is varied and plentiful, including baguette, hummus, butter, Camembert, onion jam, crudités and dip, cos lettuce and herbs with a dressing, chicken salad, cold meats, a cous cous salad and a cheese cake dessert.
Needs to be booked in advance.
Service is prompt and friendly.
Food is varied and plentiful, including baguette, hummus, butter, Camembert, onion jam, crudités and dip, cos lettuce and herbs with a dressing, chicken salad, cold meats, a cous cous salad and a cheese cake dessert.
Needs to be booked in advance.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
westcoastcat
Vancouver, Canada
Mar 2020 • Couples
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and vineyards, 300 year old Boschendal is one of the oldest and most established wine estates in the area.
Mountain biking at Boschendal is a good way to get a little exercise in and see the mountain fynbos, between wine tasting at the multitude of wine farms in the area.
Boschendal has lovely cottages for guests to stay at, which we passed by during our ride. The Trek bikes were in very good condition, which was a good thing given how challenging the trails were at times. There are different trails for different levels and they are well marked. There are some epic uphill sections and scary downhills over bridges and other obstacles!
Boschendal has a variety of options for food. Picnic lunches on the lawn, a farm store to buy delicious baked goods or charcuterie, a cafe for tea, coffees or light lunches or you can dine at the renowned “The Werf “restaurant.
Mountain biking at Boschendal is a good way to get a little exercise in and see the mountain fynbos, between wine tasting at the multitude of wine farms in the area.
Boschendal has lovely cottages for guests to stay at, which we passed by during our ride. The Trek bikes were in very good condition, which was a good thing given how challenging the trails were at times. There are different trails for different levels and they are well marked. There are some epic uphill sections and scary downhills over bridges and other obstacles!
Boschendal has a variety of options for food. Picnic lunches on the lawn, a farm store to buy delicious baked goods or charcuterie, a cafe for tea, coffees or light lunches or you can dine at the renowned “The Werf “restaurant.
Written 19 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard B
London, UK
Feb 2020 • Couples
We had not been to Boschendal for a number of years but were passing on a hot day. The formal booking is obviously very successful but we went to the cafe and had a very pleasant light lunch. The gazpacho was very tasting and the stone fruit with Parma ham was just right. The waitresses were very pleasant and helpful
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mar 2020
We had pre-booked the rose garden picnic. Definitely wouldn’t do it again. Food in the basket was nice and they were able to provide dairy free chicken for me (but no desert) but we felt it was quite overpriced - particularly given that it’s not really a picnic; you simply sit at a table in a fairly small garden and an open box is brought to you. However, the worse thing was the wasps. This ruined the lunch for me as there were literally tens of wasps constantly flying around the food and you couldn’t keep anything out on the table. If I’d known about the extent of this we definitely wouldn’t have booked (although obviously not their fault).
Not our best experience by far.
Not our best experience by far.
Written 6 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GaryTaylor143
Johannesburg, South Africa
Dec 2019
A stunning setting on a perfect day is hard to forget. However, my change in reservation date had not been registered, so I was not expected but accommodated. The cost is nearly double other wine estate's picnics, and the food fare not as good. Service is sweet but amateurish, with very infrequent visits to the tables. The beer on the menu was not available, they ran out of (a limited range of) soft drinks. no wonder there was no room at Warwick Estate, but enough space here in peak season.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorita P
Cape Town Central, South Africa
Aug 2020
We stayed over one night on my birthday and it was amazing.
Although it was freezing cold and raining non-stop, we really enjoyed our time spent at Boschendal.
We stayed in a one bedroom Orchard Cottage and it was very cozy and comfortable.
The fireplace was a HUGE plus for such a cold, wet day.
Everything we needed was there, although I couldn't get the hot plates to work. Maybe I was stupid, maybe it was faulty. Either way, it didn't really matter, although we would have loved a cup of tea in the morning and the only way was to heat the water on the hot plate.
They made me feel very special by leaving me cake in the room for my birthday. That was such a special touch.
It would have been nice to go for walks around the farm, but because of the constant rain, it wasn't possible. At least we can always go back and I WOULD go back!
Although it was freezing cold and raining non-stop, we really enjoyed our time spent at Boschendal.
We stayed in a one bedroom Orchard Cottage and it was very cozy and comfortable.
The fireplace was a HUGE plus for such a cold, wet day.
Everything we needed was there, although I couldn't get the hot plates to work. Maybe I was stupid, maybe it was faulty. Either way, it didn't really matter, although we would have loved a cup of tea in the morning and the only way was to heat the water on the hot plate.
They made me feel very special by leaving me cake in the room for my birthday. That was such a special touch.
It would have been nice to go for walks around the farm, but because of the constant rain, it wasn't possible. At least we can always go back and I WOULD go back!
Written 20 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Lorita,
Warm greetings from Boschendal.
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback from your stay at our Orchards Cottages. We are delighted to hear that you had a lovely birthday with us and that you enjoyed all that beautiful Boschendal has to offer.
We are sorry to hear you couldn't get the hot plates to work. We looked into this issue and although it was in working condition, we will consider including a manual for our guests.
We hope to welcome you back to Boschendal soon and hopefully next time you will be able to go for a walk around the farm.
Warm regards,
The Boschendal Team
Written 26 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A Guy from Idaho
Moscow, ID
Jun 2022
If you have the opportunity to stay at Boschendal, do.
Our family fell in love with this place. We rented a 3bd orchard cottage for 3-nights. I wish we could have stayed for a week, or perhaps a lifetime.
We're used to US prices, and a similar property in Napa would be, I expect, 5x or 10x the price. Even if the prices were the same, I'd much rather go back to Boschendal.
The grounds and gardens were stunning. Our cottage was delightful. The breakfasts were a highlight of our stay. We enjoyed relaxing around our (indoor and outdoor) fireplaces during the day it rained and enjoyed the gardens, mountain biking and even a chilly swim on our day of sun.
My only regret is that we didn't stay longer, and that Boschendal is so far away.
Our family fell in love with this place. We rented a 3bd orchard cottage for 3-nights. I wish we could have stayed for a week, or perhaps a lifetime.
We're used to US prices, and a similar property in Napa would be, I expect, 5x or 10x the price. Even if the prices were the same, I'd much rather go back to Boschendal.
The grounds and gardens were stunning. Our cottage was delightful. The breakfasts were a highlight of our stay. We enjoyed relaxing around our (indoor and outdoor) fireplaces during the day it rained and enjoyed the gardens, mountain biking and even a chilly swim on our day of sun.
My only regret is that we didn't stay longer, and that Boschendal is so far away.
Written 27 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paulgray1
Sale, UK
Jan 2022 • Family
Boschendal is the granddaddy of wineries in the area being founded in 1685.
I was already a fan of their wine in the Uk so was keen to see it and wine taste there. We had 2 experiences there and both were fabulous.
We drove past the estate on a Friday night and saw there was a fair on with live music so we drove in and parked up.It was like a festival with stalls selling food and drink with a live band with crowds of people sat around in chairs,seats and bean bags in fantastic humour. We got a bottle of wine with 3 glasses in an iced cool bag for a uk tenner- fantastic vibe that happens every Friday.
We went back the next day on the wine tram and spent our time doing the wine tasting sat outside in glorious sunshine- perfect day.
I was already a fan of their wine in the Uk so was keen to see it and wine taste there. We had 2 experiences there and both were fabulous.
We drove past the estate on a Friday night and saw there was a fair on with live music so we drove in and parked up.It was like a festival with stalls selling food and drink with a live band with crowds of people sat around in chairs,seats and bean bags in fantastic humour. We got a bottle of wine with 3 glasses in an iced cool bag for a uk tenner- fantastic vibe that happens every Friday.
We went back the next day on the wine tram and spent our time doing the wine tasting sat outside in glorious sunshine- perfect day.
Written 23 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Paul,
It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed your first visit to Boschendal so much! Thank you for your continued support over the years, we appreciate it. Kind Regards, The Boschendal Team
Written 17 February 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda190778
Knutsford, UK
Feb 2020 • Couples
We enjoyed the wine tasting and managed to obtain a magnum of our favourite wine plus an alternative choice. However, our bottles weren’t packed adequately enough (suspect the magnum needed to be in a stronger box) and it dropped out of the box as we got back to our accommodation. We telephoned the wine tasting people to explain and at first they told us we said it was okay to pack it like they did! We were gobsmacked that they believed we would have had the expertise to understand how to pack a magnum! Eventually they agreed after some lengthy discussion to send replacements across to our guest house but we had to follow up with another call to enable this to happen. This is why I have given 4 rather than 5. Please ensure your wine is securely packed if you do go to Boscendal then you will no doubt give them a 5 star rating.
Written 3 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you want to visit Boschendal for a day. Is it necessary to make a reservation in advance for, for example, a picnic, lunch or an activity?
Written 5 August 2023
Wayne D
San Diego, California
Hi Niels, we visited and enjoyed the shops at their special Fridays event without reservations. The restaurants are popular so you may want to make one for them. People come and purchase nice picnic items from their grocery store and enjoy a picnic in the beautiful grounds. More information can be found at their website. Have fun! Wayne
Written 7 August 2023
rickdecesare
Los Angeles, California
If a picnic is pre-booked and it happens to rain on the day of the reservation, what alternative accommodations can be made?
Written 18 February 2020
BoschendalEstate
Franschhoek, South Africa
Hi Rick, if it rains we usually move our picnics indoors into our beautiful Olive Press venue.
Kind Regards,
The Boschendal Team
Written 27 February 2020
polskadz
East Gwillimbury, Canada
Is Uber readily available to travel to and from Cape Town to Boschendal during the week? We are looking at going biking, followed by wine tasting and lunch and would prefer not to drive if we are drinking.
Written 9 August 2019
Erma L
Pretoria, South Africa
Hi there,
Yes, Uber will be reafily available,
Kind regards
Erma
Written 7 October 2019
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